You Probably Didn’t Know the 2021 RAV4 Has These Three Cool Features

There are plenty of reasons why the fifth-generation Toyota RAV4 is one of the most popular SUVs out there.

It comes with a multitude of powertrain options, including a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid, it offers plenty of passenger and cargo room, a comprehensive suite of standard safety assists, and a wide range of cool features.

Some of these features are well known and intuitive, but there are other less obvious ones that you probably didn’t know existed.

You can customize the way doors automatically lock and unlock

The RAV4 has a couple of customization options for locking and unlocking the doors automatically. By default, the doors will automatically lock after reaching a speed of approximately 12 mph (20 kph) and can unlock when the shifter is placed in Park (P).

You can change the default auto-lock function to lock the doors when you shift from P to D or R. Also, the auto-unlock can be changed, so that it's triggered by pulling the interior handle on the driver’s door.

To modify these settings, you have to press the Menu button on the infotainment screen, then access Setup, Settings, scroll down to Vehicle, tap Vehicle Customization, and finally open the Door Lock Settings menu.

The climate control system uses a sensor that detects sunlight

The RAV4 comes with a little feature called S-Flow borrowed from the Prius. It basically makes climate control far more efficient by detecting the number of occupants inside the vehicle and directing airflow accordingly.

Additionally, the system uses a solar sensor mounted on the upper side of the instrument panel that detects the sun’s position and helps redirect more cool air to the side of the vehicle hit by a larger amount of sunlight when Auto or S-Flow modes are enabled.

This type of sensor has been used for decades on many vehicles, including previous generations of the RAV4 equipped with climate control, so it’s not a new feature, but it’s one that I’m betting few owners know of.

Every RAV4 has a reversible floor deck in the cargo area

One of the main reasons for buying this SUV is the amount of cargo space you get. Sometimes, you have to carry dirty or wet items that mess up the carpet in your cargo area.

Sure, you can buy an all-weather mat to solve the issue, and Toyota dealerships provide one for about $300.

But if that’s too expensive and you haven’t had time to get an aftermarket one, Toyota designers were ingenious enough to offer a cool alternative. More specifically, the floor deck is reversible, and you can simply flip it from the carpet-covered side to the heavy-duty plastic side so that all the mess doesn’t get embedded into the carpet.

All these features can be found on fifth-generation RAV4s, including the 2021 model, which is available in dealerships with prices starting around $27,500 for the base LE trim with front-wheel drive.